ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. season — in sport
  4. row — a line
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. row — to paddle
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. wind — moving air
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. date — the fruit
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. wind — moving air
  16. season — of the year
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. nail — on a finger

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com